Tin-plate catcher.



PATENTED JUNE 5, 1906.

L. G. STEELE. TIN PLATE OATOHER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28. 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1 BNVENTOR PATENTED JUNE 5, 1906.

L. O. STEELE. TIN PLATE OATOHER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

nwvEmroR 12% 6, H216 WITNESSES Maw.

NITED STATES TENT raise,

LAWRENCE C. STEELE, OF WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN SHEET AND TIN PLATE COMPANY, OF PITTSBURG, PENN- SYLVANIA, A SJORPORATIQN OF NEW JERSEY.

. rm-PLATE OATGHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 5, 1906.

Application filed June 28,1905. Serial No. 267,383.

To all whom zit-may concern:

Be it known that I, LAWRENCE C. STEELE,

of Wheeling, Ohio county, West Virginia,

have invented a new an useful Tin-Plate Catcher, of which the following is a full, clear,

and exact description, reference being had to v the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is an end elevation showing my to improved catcher in position on a tinningpot. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. and Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views of the ratchet-gear mechanism for driving the lower feed-out rollers.

My invention relates to the feeding-out of plates from a bath in which a metallic coat -1ng is applied and is designed to provide a simple and improved mechanism which ma T be used on a duplex potthat is, one in whic the plates are fed up in two series face to face or one in front of the other.

In the drawings, 2 represents the tinningpot, which is of a proper width to receive two sets of upper tinning-rolls, (numbered, respectively, 3 3 and 4 4.) Above and in line with each upper set of tinning-rolls is a set of feed-' out rolls, (numbered, respectively, 5 5 and 6 6.) These feed-out rollers perferably consist of shafts provided with disks 7 of soft material,

0 such as linen or other fabric. The layers of linen are cut to this form,'and a number of layers are clamped between metal disks or collars, the fabric projecting beyond the metal disks and contacting with the rising 3 5 sheets. The bearings for one roller of each feed-out set are movable within the bearingyoke 8 and are yieldingly pressed toward the stationary bearings of the other roller of the pair by springs 9, having adjusting-screws 10. 0' heyokes for the bearings are preferably mounted on a frame havin screw-threaded corner-supports 11,1nounte on the pot, thus providing for adjusting of the yoke-frames vertically by the nuts 12. Between the opposite yoke-frames extend cross-bars 13, to which are secured inclined uide-fingers 14 and 15. The outer guidengers are provided with flattened heads bolted directly to the cross-bars, while the inner guide-fin- .50 gcrs are preferably formed integrally with each other in pairs, each pair consisting of a bar bent to form the intermediate portion and the depending legs. The intermediate portion is bolted to one of the cross-bars 13. The space between the guide-fingers thus con verges or ta ers upwardly and directs the upper end of t e rising sheet intothe nip of the feed-out rollers. ,Above and between the two sets of lower feed-out rollers is a single upper set of feed-out rollers 16, which are similar in construction to the lower rollers, being provided with separated disks of soft material, or at least having soft material for the facing of the disks. The bearings of one of these rolls are spring-pressed in the same manner as the lower feed-out rollers, and the sheets are guided from each side into this upper and single pair of feed-out rollers by the outer guidefingers 17 and the inner fingers 18. The fingers17 are bolted to cross-bars 19 on the yoke-frames, while the tubular guide 18 has its lower portion bolted to the ower yoke-frame. The sheets rising from the up er feed-out rollers pass up between inclined guides 2(),which are preferably in the form of separated rods bolted to the crossbars between the upper yokes. After each sheet is thus fed upwardly between the guides it slides back from the feed-rollers and down the inclined chute 21.

As the upper single pair of feed-out rollers handles the product from both lower pairs of feed-out rollers, it is desirable that this upper pair should be driven at a higher rate of speed than the lower pairs, and I provide suitable connections for so driving the upper rollers at higher speed. In order to prevent the lowerfeed-rollers from acting as a drag upon the sheet after it engages the upper feed-out rollers, I mount the driving-gears 22 for the lower feed-out rollers loosely upon their shafts. Each of these gear-wheels 22 is recessed on one side to recelve a ratchet-wheel 23, which is keyed to the driving-shaft and is engaged by the spring-pressed pawl or pawls 24. The 9 5 driving gear-wheel 25 (shown in Fig. 1) enages the gear-wheels 22 for each positivelyriven gear-wheel of each of the lower pairs. This gear -wheel 25 in the form shown is driven by toothed wheel 26 on a worm-shaft 27, having a worm wheel 28 engagin a worm on shaft29, which is provided Wit a pulley 30, driven by a belt 31 from any suitable power-shaft. I have shown the shaft 32 of one of the upper feed-out rollers as pro- 105 vided with a sprocketwheel having a sprocket-chain 33, extending to a larger sprocket-wheel 34 on the shaft of the toothed wheel 25. The shaft 32 has at its opposite end a gear-wheel 35, intermeshing with a correspondingtoothed wheel on the shaft of the other upper feed-out roller. 1

In the operation of the device the tinner feeds sheets alternately through the duplex rolls of the firming-machine, so that one sheet will engage the feed-out rolls 5 and the next following sheet the feed-out rolls 6. "As each sheet passes through the feed-out rolls 5 or 6 its upper. end will be deflected and guided into the sin le upper pair. of feed-out rollers, whichwill aw it forward at a faster-s eed. The ratchet connections of the lower fee -out gears will then allow the lower feed-out rolls to rotateat a faster speed than that at which they are driven. The sheet is thus drawn rapidly through the upper feed-out rolls and slides back down the chute before the next sheet feeding forward at the slower speed through the other pair of lower rollers is fed forward through the upper rollers.

The advantages of the. invention will be apparent to-those skilled in the art. The invention provides a simple and eficient feed- .out means for duplex pots by which the ris- .ing sheets will not interfere with each other,

and a large output may be obtained. The

feed-out rollers may be changed in form.

Other materials may be used for the disks, if such are employed, though I prefer the soft. material, as 1t avoids marking of the sheets. I The peripheral speed of the upper pair of feedout rollers may be obtained either by suitable driving connections or by making them of greater diameter, and many other changes may be made in the form and arrangement of the parts without departing from my invention.

1 'A feed-out device for duplex coatin apparatus, comprising two pairs of fee -out rollers arranged side by side, a single airv offeed-out rollers above them, andi es arranged, to feed the sheets from dach ower pair to the singleupper pair; substantially as described. a

2. A feed-out device'for coating apparatus, comprising a plurality of lower pairs of feedout rollers, arranged side by side, an upper pair of feed-out rollers, and guides arranged to feed the sheets from lower pairs to the single 11 per pair; substantially as described.

3. a feed-out device for duplex coating apparatus, comprising two pairs of feed-out rollers above and between the lower pairs,

and inclined guides arrangedto guide the sheets from both lower pairs into the single upper pair; substantially as described.

4. A feed-out device for duplex coat' apparatus, comprisin two lower pairs of eedout rollers arrange side by side, asingle pair above and between the lower means for guiding the sheets from oth lower pairs into the upper pair, the upper pair havmg a higher peri heral speed than the lower palr; substantial y as described.

5. A feed-out device for coating apparatus, comprising two lower pairs of'feed-outrolls, driving mechanism therefor having connections arranged to allow'the rolls'to rotate at higher speed than their normal speed, and an upper pair of feed-out rollers having her eripheral speed than the driving speed 0 the ower rollers; substantially as described.

6. A feed-out device'for duplex coatin apparatus, comprising two lower pairs of eedout rollers, driving connections arranged to turn them at a certain rate of speed, said'rollers being arranged to be free'to'rotate at a hi her speed, a sin le upper pair. of'feed-out rollers, curved guides arranged to direct: the sheets from both lower pairs into the single airs, and

upper pair, and driving connections arranged out rolls, arranged si e e by side, an up er-pair V of feed-out rolls, guides arrangedto eed'the sheets from the lower pairs to the. upper pair, and a air of inclined guides above the upper pair 0 rolls and arranged to permit the sheets to slide backwardl over'the said rolls; substantially as descri ed.

A 8. A feed-out device for coatingapparatus, comprising a pluralit Qof'lower pairs of'feedout rolls, arrangedsi' e b side, an upper pair of feed-out rolls; means or guiding the sheet from the lower to the upper rolls, a pair of inclined .guides above the upper pair of rolls, and a chute down which the sheets slide; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set I my hand.

,L. C. STEELE. Witnesses:

J. A. FARRELL,

A. H. Wrrnnnuson. 

